DOHA: Qatar is open to people of all nationalities including those from the blockading countries, Secretary-General of Qatar National Tourism Council and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker has said.
He was clarifying comments he made last week on not welcoming people of certain nationalities to Qatar. He said his remarks were taken out of context by the media, explaining that he was speaking with emotion as a passionate Qatari affected by the blockade imposed on the country.
“We have over 750 Egyptians working at Qatar Airways and some of my senior management is Egyptian,” he said. “We have a very large diaspora of Egyptians in my country. And they are respected,” he added.
He pointed out that the media, which took his comments out of context, ignored in the same context the openness of Qatar to all countries of the world and its readiness to open to the blockading countries, citing what the Qatari leadership had said that if they, the blockading countries, come towards us one meter, we will go 1,000km towards them.
“As far as my remarks on Egyptians are concerned, you can see that it was really not meant literally the way it was translated.”
“Sometimes as a Qatari, especially at this time of the year, it gives us very sour memories of what has happened previously,” he said referring to the blockade.